(CNN) Attorney General William Barr is no longer expected to testify before the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, committee Chairman Jerry Nadler announced Wednesday, following a dispute between House Democrats and the nation's top law enforcement officer over whether Barr would publicly face questions from committee staff attorneys. If the Justice Department does not change course in the next day or two, Nadler said, the committee is likely to begin contempt proceedings against Barr over defying the subpoena for the full report. Assistant Attorney General Stephen Boyd sent a letter to Nadler on Wednesday outlining the reasons why Barr would not turn over the full report and underlying evidence. "This subpoena is not legitimate oversight," Boyd wrote, calling the request "extraordinarily burdensome." While the committee will still meet Thursday, without Barr -- creating the spectacle of a literal empty chair in the hearing room for the attorney general -- Nadler said the panel's primary focus is to obtain the full report and Mueller's underlying evidence, not Barr's testimony.

Source: CNN May 01, 2019 21:51 UTC